SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) -- Don't write the obituary just yet for the Dallas
Mavericks. Their quest for a 13th straight playoff berth is still
alive, even if it remains on life support.
Shawn Marion had 25 points and 12
rebounds, and the Mavericks snapped a two-game losing streak with a
117-108 victory over the Sacramento Kings on Friday night.
The Mavericks (37-39) used a 41-point
second quarter to gain control of a game they desperately needed. They
remained three games behind the Lakers in the chase for the eighth and
final playoff berth in the Western Conference.
"We're playing game to game and trying
to win every one and give ourselves a chance," Dallas coach Rick
Carlisle said. "This is a prideful group of guys. We want to finish this
season on an uptick."
Dallas has made the playoffs 12 straight seasons dating to 1999-00, which was Dirk Nowitzki's second season.
Just getting back into the playoff hunt
has been a major effort for Dallas. The Mavericks had an 11-10 record
after beating the Kings on Dec. 10. But over the next month they dropped
13 of 15 games and had a 13-23 record on Feb. 9.
The Mavericks' four-game road trip got
off to a rough start Tuesday with a 20-point loss to the Lakers. But a
95-94 loss Thursday night in Denver felt even worse than the lopsided
defeat.
"We had to (forget). That's the NBA,"
Marion said. "That's what being a pro is all about. We had to put last
night behind us."
Marion did his part, making 10 of 17 shots, including his lone 3-point attempt, and converted all four free-throw attempts.
The Mavericks shot 51 percent, scored 99 points over the last three quarters, had 30 assists and made all 19 free throws.
"We were moving the ball and everyone was looking for each other," Marion said. "We were making that extra pass all game."
Dallas, which trailed 27-18 after the
first quarter, swept all four games from the Kings this season and has
defeated Sacramento in 15 of the last 16 meetings.
Isaiah Thomas had 29 points and Tyreke
Evans added 26 points and nine rebounds for the Kings, who dropped their
third straight game. Jason Thompson had 16 points and 16 rebounds.
"When you're dealing with a team like
Dallas, they just have so many know-how guys that are going to hurt you
no matter what," Kings coach Keith Smart said. "We've had a hard time
with this team all year. They have done a number on us no matter how
we've tried to play them."
Reserve Brandan Wright had 20 points
for Dallas, which outscored the Kings' bench 49-24. Backup point guard
Darren Collison contributed 18 points and eight assists, and Nowitzki
added 16 points.
The slender Wright was a factor at both ends of the court. He shot 9 of 14, had six rebounds and blocked two shots.
"It's always good to get a win after a
tough loss like last night," Wright said. "We put up 99 points in the
last three quarters. You can't ask for much better than that."
DeMarcus Cousins, Sacramento's leading
scorer and rebounder, was replaced in the starting lineup by Patrick
Patterson for reasons that both Cousins and Smart wouldn't provide
answers for afterward.
Cousins, who has had verbal battles
with Smart this season, entered the game at the start of the second
quarter and finished with six points in nine minutes. He had started all
68 games he played this season.
"Am I surprised? Not at all," said
Cousins, who said he found out at the morning shootaround. "It was his
decision. He doesn't have to give me a reason, he's the coach."
And if Smart had a reason, he wasn't saying.
"I decided to go with the guys I had on
the floor," Smart said. "There's no details and there's nothing behind
it. I went with the guys that I thought at that particular time would
give us what I was looking for with that team."
Vince Carter passed off to Wright early
in second quarter for his 4,000th career assist. Carter, who had six
assists in the first half, became the 15th player in NBA history to
amass 22,000 points, 5,000 rebounds and 4,000 assists.
Carter, who had seven points and tied a
season high with eight assists, said he had no idea he had entered such
a select group.
"That's an honor. I'm not sure who is
in the group, but I'm sure it's a lot of Hall of Famers," Carter said.
"To get a milestone like that, it's a shock. To do that when we get a
win is a great feeling."
Trailing by nine points entering the
fourth quarter, the Kings went on a quick 9-2 run to close the gap to
94-90. After a timeout, the Mavericks responded, running off nine
straight points for a 103-90 lead with 8:27 left.
"We were fine, we knew they were going to make a run," Wright said. "We did the things we needed to do to get this win."
After a huge second-quarter output, the
Mavericks followed up with a strong third quarter. Marion scored mostly
from close range on floaters and had 13 points in the third when the
Mavericks built their lead to 92-81.
Nowitzki scored nine of his 11
first-half points in the second quarter, when the Mavericks outscored
the Kings 41-26. Collison also had nine points in the second for Dallas,
which took a 59-53 lead into the half.
Thomas had 15 points, Evans scored 11, and Thompson had nine points and 11 rebounds in the opening half for the Kings.
Notes: Kings forward John Salmons made a
3-pointer in the first quarter to break out of an extended scoreless
streak. He had zero points in 38 minutes Wednesday against Houston and
finished with three points in 25 minutes against Dallas. . Thomas ended
the first quarter with a 15-foot floater at the buzzer that gave the
Kings a 27-18 lead. . Mavericks veteran forward Elton Brand missed his
second straight game with a sore right calf that has bothered him all
week. . The Kings have lost four straight at home, where they own a
19-19 record.
